Thursday 1 September 2011 06.01 EDT
First published on Thursday 1 September 2011 06.01 EDT

Famous foreign managers are becoming increasingly common in Asia with the likes of Frank Rijkaard, Carlos Queiroz, Alberto Zaccheroni, José Camacho and Zico preparing for the third round of qualification for the 2014 World Cup on 2 September – when Japan, South Korea, Australia and Bahrain take their first steps on the road to Brazil. Bahrain's name may look a little out of place among the elite but then the new manager, Peter Taylor, knows all about unexpected chances to dine at the top table. Here is a man who won all four of his England caps when playing for Crystal Palace in the old Third Division in 1976 and now he is trying to guide a nation that earlier this year imprisoned some of its best players to a first-ever World Cup appearance.

To do so, the former Tottenham winger will need to call on all of his experience which includes six years in charge of England Under-21s and one game in charge of the senior team against Italy in September 2000 – the same month he took Leicester City to the top of the Premier League – as well as lower-league spells with Brighton, Hull City, Stevenage, Crystal Palace, Wycombe Wanderers and Bradford.

And now Bahrain. The 58-year-old arrived in mid-July, five months after the start of the Bahraini uprising, led mainly by Shia Muslims who make up the majority of the nation's population. The protesters' demands for democratic reforms and concessions from the ruling Sunni royal family were eventually met by a violent crackdown. "When I talked with the federation, that side of things did concern me," Taylor said. "They told me that the country was calm and it has been. Since I have been here, there have been more problems in England than there have in Bahrain."

The English rioters were largely apolitical in nature. In Bahrain it is hard to separate politics from anything and football is no exception, especially as the president of the national FA is a member of the ruling al-Khalifa royal family. The FA assured Fifa that the national team players detained in custody were treated well; friends and family talked of torture.

Mohammed Hubail and his brother Alaa, the Golden Boy of Bahrain football and the joint top scorer at the 2004 Asian Cup, were arrested shortly after joining other athletes on a march to Pearl Square in Manama, the centre of the protests. They have been released – Mohammed to appeal against his two-year sentence while Alaa's case is pending – but neither is free to play football after being banned by their club. Others were detained, including the goalkeeper Ali Saeed Abdullah and Sayed Mohammed Adnan, a veteran of 79 international appearances and runner-up in the 2009 Asian player of the year award. Sayed has now left the country, signing for the Australian champions, Brisbane Roar, in an attempt to rebuild his life and career.

Taylor denies that the club ban extends to the national team, though admits that, in practice, it amounts to the same thing, for the moment at least. "The clubs suspended them so until they are playing again, they can't get in the squad as I need to see them play. The federation has said that if I do so and I want to pick them, then I can. One of them is now going to Albania and another has gone to Australia so we will see what happens."

While it also remains to be seen how the players feel about representing their country again, according to Taylor, their former team-mates feel fine ahead of the opening game with Qatar on Friday. "There are no tensions in the squad. I was just telling them last night that their unity and team spirit is absolutely fantastic."

There are 20 teams in action in total, split into five groups of four with the top two progressing to the final round of qualification. Iran are the favourites in Bahrain's group with Indonesia expected to come last, lending extra weight to the Qatar clash. "We are looking to get off to a good start and get some points on the board. I am sure that they are thinking something similar. It should be a great game."

These days, it is common to see Bahrain in the latter stages. Despite a population of just over a million, the nation has been the half in Asia's four and a half qualification spots for the World Cup on the last two occasions only to fail in the final play-off. Both times, against Trinidad & Tobago in 2005 and New Zealand in 2009, they were a goal away from the big time. "My aim is to go one step further. The draw is not the kindest but it is not impossible. The team is not bad but we are 100th in the [Fifa] rankings and I think I have to identify certain areas of the team that we can improve on." Taylor has done that already. "Their fitness levels are not the best and they need a lot of work. Technically, they are not bad at all but they just need some of the British mentality in training and preparation. The players often give the impression that they think they can just turn up and play well and get a good result."

Not too much British mentality, though. Taylor is relishing some of the differences after enjoying regular training sessions since his arrival. "I thought it would be just like home and we wouldn't get together very often but we have three years to try and qualify for the World Cup. Also, the majority of players are playing in Bahrain which means we have some control over them. I am sure if you asked Mr Capello about that, he would love it."

Training may be a daily affair but it has been taking place in the evening, often as late as midnight. Taylor is still adjusting to temperatures in the mid-40s and he found preparing for a lengthy qualification campaign during the holy month of Ramadan – when his players could only eat and drink between sunset and sunrise – a completely new challenge. "If I do write a book or go into after-dinner speaking, I will have a lot of material just from my first month here."

How many chapters he will be able to write will depend largely on what happens on the pitch, though in Bahrain you can never be sure. "Many people have asked me about the problems in Bahrain but I always say to them: 'Look, I am just a football manager and if I can help people feel better by getting a couple of good results then that is what I am here to do.'"